Wind-back Wednesday: Where are Western Storm's players running around now?

Many of the Tasmanian State League and NTFA's superstars - past and present - rolled out for the Storm during their two TSL seasons.

Replacing South Launceston in the statewide competition, they were eventually rebranded to Prospect Hawks, playing development league only in 2016 before their licence was rejected.

This was after breaking new ground in 2014, making the grand final in their first year and representing the TSL in the last Foxtel Cup, which pitted teams from across the country against each other.

While the club has been out of action for a while, several key faces are still running around or involved with football.

Only two Storm players are still playing State League football - Launceston's Brodie Palfreyman and Lauderdale's Haydn Smith.

Palfreyman was just 15 when he was playing seniors for the Storm and has since won two McAuley Medals as Launceston best and fairest and three TSL premierships.

Jobi Harper and Jay Blackberry are fellow three-time premiership teammates, while Tim Jones played in the 2020 triumph and Cody Thorp has also spent time at the Blues.

Alex Russell is an assistant coach there this season.

Down south, Smith established himself as one of the TSL's best rucks, most recently named in the competition's team of the year in 2019.

Originally from Lauderdale, he returned to the Bombers following the Storm's demise.

Former Storm coach Mitch Hills also spent time in the South, playing for Glenorchy.

Bart McCulloch became a three-time North Launceston premiership player after his time at the Brisbane Lions, the Storm and Bulldogs.

The Storm's crop has produced two premier division flag-winning coaches in Corry Goodluck (Bracknell, 2021) and Beau Thorp (Longford, 2022).

Goodluck still plays for the Redlegs, while Jacob Huett played both seniors and reserves last year and Joe Chilcott last played in their 2021 premiership. Cal Mulder was also a part of the flag before moving to Bridport this season.

Bridgenorth's Billy Jack, South Launceston's Blackberry, Rocherlea's Zane Brown and Hillwood's Jake Laskey are all playing in the premier division this season.

The likes of Jade Child (South Launceston/Scottsdale), Clinton Drake (South Launceston) and Tom Reinmuth (Longford/South Launceston) are all premiership players.

Premiership success for Storm alumni is not exclusive to NTFA's premier division, with several players winning a division one flag as well.

Thane Bardenhagen coached Lilydale to the 2017 premiership, played his 150^th game in the 2019 decider and was a crucial cog in the 2021 win as well, playing alongside Beau Tuthill in all three.

Lewis Ritchie captained East Coast's breakthrough 2018 flag, while Laskey was best on ground in St Pats' 2022 premiership, playing alongside Julian James.

Bardenhagen and Mulder are playing seniors this season and Tuthill reserves, while Ritchie is yet to take to the field.

Hills is still coaching, most recently leading St Patrick's College to a season-opening win in the Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools competition, while coach Nick Roney was overseas.

Matt Hanson's decorated VFL career - which spanned nine years and saw him become the only player to win four Bruce Montgomery Trophies for Werribee's best-and-fairest as well as four VFL Team of the Year selections - came to an end last year.

However, he and brother Will are kicking goals off-field, picked to help co-ordinate Dustin Martin's DRIP fitness app - making sure the app could produce personalised workouts that could also be put out to a large audience.